Machine and method for drawing glass



Feb. 1 1927.

c. w. AVERY MACHINE AND METHOD FOR DRAWINTG cuss Fild- May 5. 1920 INVENTOR.

A TTORNEY.

25 ith-these j invention consists in the arrangement, 00111:"

Patented Feb 17,1927, V

UNITED STATES I 1,615,405 PATENT OFFICE;

- cfnnnrziren w. nvEnm-or nn'rnorr, mcmean, or DELAWARE, or narrow,mrcmsnn,

Assumes 'ro roan moron conirnnr A CORPORATION or DELAWARE.

AND mnrnon son bnawme'ennsa "Applicatign as la a, 1920. Serial No.378,967.

be a' continuous process.

A further ob'ect of my invention is to rovidemean's for removing themolten glass r0m a glass'meltingtank which are adapted .to transform themolten "glass into a finished 1'6 strip of sheet glass.

' A furtherobject of my invention is to provide means, m connection witha melting tank for glass for sizing the glass taken vfrom the tank, forreducing the lass to a predetermined tem rature, then awmgit 'to'apredetermm' -e gla zing or finishing the surface of thes'trip of lass. aA

and other objects in v ew, my

bination, and construction of) the various arts of m improved devlce asdescribed m the specification, claimed in my cla ms, and shown in theaccompanying drawings in which:

Figure U on the line 1'--1-of Figure 2, illustrating the construction ofmy improved machine, and Figure 2 is a vertical transverse sectionalview-taken on the 'line 2-2 of Fi' re 1. Y Beferrin to the accompanyingrawings, Ihave used the reference numeral 10 to indicate generally thefloor or base line upon which my-im rove d machine rests. At oneendare'vertical supporting walls '11 designed to' support' a meltingtank structure -12,- which is of ordinary construction, and

adapted to. maintain a continuous supply of molten glass. At thedischarge end o f,--the 'tank is a. dischar draw oi the moten'glass'from the tank this dischar I ope I ning 13. bei so arrangethat the widththereof may varied {by so raising andlowering a gate 14.This gate 14 may be arranged, ifso desired, to form a scum apron abovethe opening 13. Supported by the tank 12, or in any suitable way,

' ,such wertical walls 21,;is a final refining s5 chamber-15, whichisadapted to receive the .size and thickness and, in combination withthese means, means for 1 is a vertical sectional view taken.

opening 13 designed to molten glass flowin from the dischar e opening13, This re ing chamber may be provided with'a plurality of gassupplying, openings or burners 16 whereby the 'Ktemperature ofthe glasstherein maybe main- 60 tained to a pre etermined degree, and, ifdesired, the temperature of the lass may bepermitted to lower graduallyom the reeeiving to the discharge end of the final refinin chamber. Thischamber is construct- 6b ed with a floor 17 across which the glass re-'ceived from the opening 13 flows, and in'the' form of device here showna swinging gate 18 is adapted to limit thewidth of the flow of glassoverthe end of the floor 17. The'70 position of the gate may be variedby rotatmg the pin on- 19 to thereby swing the segmental rack 20, whichis fixed to the gate 18.

J ournalled'in the side supporting walls 21 below the final refiningchamber are a pair 7&5

of sizin rolls 22. The rolls are driven by means 0 a motor 2% which isconnected to a worm. gear 25 on the shaft 26 which in turn is connectedthrough a worm wheel 27 and chain 28 to a drive shaft 29 formed byextendin one of the trunnions of the rollers 22; 0 second roller 22,isconnected to the first by a palr'of gears 30 wherebythese rollers mayrotate in opposite directions continuously.

I have hereinbefore referred to the sizin rollers, and it will beunderstood that when use-the term siging rollers that I refer to therollers 22 together with their connections. They are arranged below thedis charge end of the floor 17 so that the glass flowing from the endofthat floor will drop into the trough formed between the adjacent uppersurfaces 'of the rollers and spread along the rollers. It will e seenthat when the trough formed by the rollers has. molten glass-therein,that rotation of the rollers which causes the adjacent sides to movedownwardly will permit a stream of lass 'to pass out downwardly betweenthe r0 lers which is equalqin thickness to the distance between theperipherie's ofthe'r'ollers 22. If,-' then,v the rollers 22 be rotatedcontinuously when the discharge opening of the tank is open and thedischarge opening of the final refining chamber is open, then acontinuous stream of glass of a predeterminedTthickness will be fed outbetween the; rollers 22 .downwardly.-

. The length of the rollers 22; will limit the lie 'width of the stripof glass, and the width of the strip may further be determined bylegulating the amount of glass supplied to the rollers, which can bedone by moving the gate 18. Where this method of regulating the width isused, the: glass is supplied to the rollers in a quantity just greatenough so that it will flow far enough toward the .ends of the rollersbefore passing therebetween, to allow the formation of a strip of thedesired width.

Below the rollers 22' is disposed .a temperature regulating chambercom-prising in the form. here shown a rectangular chamber 31 havingelongated slots at the top and bottom thereof adapted to permitthe'strip of glass to pass there-through. The slot in the bottom of thischamber 31 may beef sufficient. width to allow the glass to beswunglaterally somewhat,.if so desired.

Extended into the temperature regulating chamber 31- are a plurality ofsupply pipes 32 having controlling valves "33 therefor, whereby. thesupply of gasor liquid passing through said pipes maybe regulated. Bythis construction it will be seen that the temperature of the strip ofglass passing through I the temperature regulating' chamber may bereduced or increased to any desired degree and this reduction orincrease'maintained for any desired period of time. I

.Below the temperature regulating chamher is a glazing chamber'34 which,in the form of device here illustrated, is: designed to subject thestrip of glass. passing therethrough to the heat on flame of a pluralityof burners 35 whereby the surface of the glass may be fire-glazed-togive it a desired finish. The fire-glazing chamber 34 .-'has.

an opening 36 in its forward Wall through whichl the strip of glass isdesigned to be passe Next to the fire-glazing chamber is a chamber 37designed to receive devices for plac ing the glass passing through thepreceding chambers under tension to thereby draw the strip of glass to adesired width andthickness. These tension devices'in theiform of devicehere-illustrated comprise pairs of.op

. posed parallel rollers 38 designed to receive the glass between themwhereby the glass may be placed undertension'by the action of theserollers. I have here shown these rollers as being driven from a secondworm 39mounted on the shaft 26 which in turn is connected through a wormwheel 40, shaft 41, and chain 42 with a trunnion 43'ofone of the rollers38. The oppositeends of these rollers may be connected by pinions 44 todrive the rollers of each pair in opposite directions to thereby forcethe glass between them. Any number of pairs of these rollers may bedriven if'desired.

In the practical operation of my improved device, glass in theta-nk 12is reduced a tank to the final refiningchamber, and from the latter, maybe adjustedby the gates 14 and'18... Shflicientglass is allowed to ac.-cumulate in the trough between rollers 22's0 that rotation of theserollers will allow a strip of glass of predetermined width and.thickne-"s to pass out downwardly. This st-rip of glass travels ondownwardly into the temperature controlling chamber where thetemperature of the" glass is brought to a predetermined degree, whencethe glass passes downwardly "and laterally through.

the glazing chamber and between the rolls 38. The rolls 38 vare arrangedto revolveat such speed and carry off the glass rapidly enough so ,thatthe 'glassbetween the rolls;

38 and the rolls 22 may be stretched to a predeterminedwidth. andthickness. The gla s thus formed and received bylthe rolls 38 is thenconducted on into a leer or the -tempe r-' ing chamber, then cut intopieces, and thence taken to a place for storage or.where it may be used.J

An advantage of. my improved method and machine resides in the fact thata strip of glass may be caused to come continuously from the-leer,'whiehneed only be cut and a trimmed-before being ready for use. A furtheradvantage resides in the fact that this glass coming from, the leer issubstan tially free from variations in refractions orother-imperfectionssuch as are common in the glass formed with the.methods with ,-which I am familiar. The advantage of vious withoutfurther enlargement.

p ehanges'may be made in the ar-" rangement and construction of thevarious parts of my mproved device wlthout deproducing a continuousstrip of glass is 'obparting from the spirit of the invention.

therein. andit is my intention to cover by 'my. claims such changes asmay be {reasonably included within the scope thereofv" I- claim as-myinvention r 1". In'the art of producing a continuous glass'sheet adaptedto form the source. of supply for the commercial product, the met odofproducing the sheet which consists in producing an; embryo shee' t.formajtion from a constant source of supply oftth'e molten glass,subjectingtheembryo forma tion to a conditioningtreatment 'while theformation is subject to complete and'maximumgravity action exerted inthedirection of sheet advance to give the sheet 'the desired. dimensionalcharacteristics. subjecting the conditioned sheet to a'polishing action,.and

then leading the sheet laterally into the leer, 1 0:

' sup 1y method the path of the sheet travel while subject to suchravity activity presenting the directlon of sheet advance asincluding-an 1mtial vertical direction and a final-horizontal direction,the intermediate portion of-the flight having.charactenttics of anapproximate arc of relatively large radius, the

glass sheet adapted to form ,the source of supply for the commercialproduct, the

' method ,of producing the sheet which consists in producing anembryo'sheet formation from a constant source of supply of the moltenglass, subjecting the embryo formation to a conditioning treatment whilethey formation is subject to complete and maxi-- mum gravity actionexerted in the direction of sheet advance to give the sheet the desireddimensional characteristics, subjecting the conditioned sheet to apolishing action while under the action of gravity, arid then leadingthe sheet laterally into the of the sheet travel While subject to suchgravity. activity presenting the direction of sheet advance as includingan initial ,vertical direction and a final horizontal direction, theintermediateportion of the flight having characteristics of. anapproximate arc of relatively large radius, the length of the radiusbeing maintained approximately constant by the speed of advance of thesheet into the leer, the polishing activrty being provided while thesheet is travelling w thin thecurved portion of such flight.

3-. In the art of producing-a continuous glass sheet adapted to form thesource of of producing the sheet which consists. in establishing acontinuous flow of the molten glass, producing an embryo sheet formationin such embryo formation in the the dimensional characteristics of thesheet such action, andthen advancing the polished sheet into the leerwith thedirection of advance movement approximately horizontal the pathof th sheet travel while subjectto such gravity ivity presenting thedirection; of sheet advance as including an initial vertical directionand a finalhorizontal direction, the intermediate portion of the flighthaving characteristics of an" approxi mate arc of relatively largeradius, the length of the radius being maintained approximately constantby the speed of advance of the sheet into the leer, the polish,-ingactivity being-provided while the sheeteer, the path. deer, thepolishing activity for the. commercial product, the

flow-path, subjecting the to gravity actionfexerted' direction of sheetadvance to completeis travelling within the curvedportion of suchflight.

4. In the art of producing a continuous glass sheet adapted to form thesource of.

supply for the commercial product, the

method of producing the sheet'which con- .Si'sts in establishingacontinuous flow of the molten glass, producing an embryo sheetformation in such flow-path, leading the embryo formation throughconditioning and polishing chambers -in, succession while maintainingthe formation under complete and maximum gravity activity exerted inthe-direction of sheet advance to produce a polished formation havingthe dimensional characteristics of the sheet, and then leading thepolished formation in a substantially horizontal direction to the leer,the path of the sheet travel while subject to such gravity activitypresenting the direction of sheet ad-v vance as including an initialvertical direction and a final horizontaldirection, the'intermediateportionof the flight having-char- I acteristics of an'approximate arc of relatively-large radius, the length of the radiusbeing maintained approximately constant 7 by the speed of advance ofthesheet into the being provided while the sheet is travelling withinthe curved portion of such flight. i

. .5. In. the art of producing a. continuous glass sheet adapted toform-the source of supply for the commercial Product, the met s ists inestablishing a continuous flow of the molten glass, producing an embryosheetformation in such fiow p travel path for the embryo sheet with theath, establishing a 0d of producing the sheet which con100 path leadingin a curved'direction andmain- Y taining the sheet free from supportduring its travel through such curved path to place the traveling sheetunder complete and I maximum'gravity activity, subjecting such sheet toconditioning and polishing action :within the zone of travel included insuch curved path, and'thenf leading the polished sheet in asubstantially horizontal direction to the leer.

'6 In the. art-otproducing a continuous glass sheet adapted to form thesource of and polishing its faces during the period of supply for thecommercial product, wherein therholten glass .is given its sheetforminstrmediate the melting chamber and the. jleer, and wherein the moltenglass is-delixlered under gravity activityfa sheetforming and! polishinginstr'umentality including means for producing an embry formation,

said means being located in the ow-path of the glass, meansspacedfromand out of vertical alinement with the forming me ns and I operativeto support. and advance, t'e sheet conditioning means operative torender mov ng, sheet responsiye to. complete maximum gravity activityexerted m the lee.

. rection of sheet advance to complete the dimensional characteristicsof the sheet during movementbetween the forming and advancing means, andfire-pohslung means operative on the travelling sheet'whilethe latter isunder gravity action, said conditioning and polishing means beingpositioned between the formlng and advancing means and 0pertravel pathof the sheet within the gravitation zone with the degree of curvaturehaving characteristics of an approximate arc of relatively large radius,the length of such radius'be'ing' maintained approximately constant bythe speed of travel of such advancing means, said polishing means beingactive on the sheet during sheet travel within the curved zone.

CLARENCE w. AVERY.

